LASPOTECH standstill as Masscomm students take anti-corruption campaign to campus

By Michael Orodare, HNDII MassComm

The students at the Library Complex

The Ikorodu campus of Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH was brought to a standstill last Wednesday as Film Students of the department of Mass Communication held a rally to campaign against corruption on campus.

The rally was in commemoration of the annual costume day tagged 'Against Corruption Together: Stop Corruption on Campus ACT Now!'

Vehicular and pedestrian movements on the campus was brought to a halt as the students, who were dressed in different professional, cultural and religious attires, danced round the campus with different placards, flyers and stickers bearing several anti-campus corruption messages.

The students, led by their course lecturer, Steven Anu Adesemoye, commenced the rally from the department of Mass Communication and moved round different faculties, to the Rector's office and back to their department, dancing, singing with all kinds of demonstration, calling on fellow students, lecturers and all stakeholders in the education sector to join hands to kick out corruption on Nigerian campuses if they are truly desirious of ending the brain drain, dearth of intellectualism among others in the nation's education sector.

The rally attracted the attention of students, staffers, traders and other members of the Polytechnic community. At the School of Environmental Studies and School of Engineering, the rallying students were joined by fellow students who troop out of their classes to solidarise, dance and take pictures with their colleagues and also lend their voices to the anti-campus corruption campaign.

According to the organizing committee, the theme of this session's costume day was borne out of the need to put a stop to the endemic corrupt practices which has eaten deep into the nation's education sector and has therefore put the education sector on a snail movement.

The Course Lecturer, Mr Steve Anu Adesemoye noted that corruption in the nation's education sector is not limited to the tertiary institutions, but it starts from the primary level. He therefore

advocated for proper enlightenment for lecturers and students to rid Nigeria education sector of corrupt practices, from the primary level to the tertiary level.

Adesemoye said "We are not looking for saints, we only need those who are ready to change and drop the bad in their hands in order for us to have a better society."

One of the students, Olowe Temitope described the rally as a success. She however said "we strongly hope that those concerned or affected by our campaign message will take necessary action to address the menace of corruption on our campuses in order for us to have a better academic society"

The President of the Mass Communication Students' Association  (MACSA), Omoniyi Joseph on his part described the procession as a creative and resounding effort towards fighting against corruption in our higher institutions.

Ominiyi said "if everyone and every sector in this country can take the bull by the horn by acting against corruption in all sincerity, the whole nation will be better for it."

The Zaria Clash : A Call for Caution

Like many other Nigerians, the news of the unfortunate clash between the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai and the Shiite Islamic movement which claimed lives of Shiite followers came to me as a rude shock and a clash that ought to have been avoided at this critical time in the history of our nation.

Putting into consideration our fragile security system which has been on continuous threat in the past few years by another Islamic movement, the Boko Haram dreaded group, it will not be out of place to call for truce between the parties involved in this recent clash in order to avert another uprising of insurgency from the Northern part of the nation which has been the bedrock of terrorists attacks.

It would be recalled that the Boko Haram insurgency which has now gotten out of hands started smaller than this. In the case of Boko Haram only the leader was unlawfully killed by security operatives and his followers have continued to unleash mayhem on the entire nation over this death.

The parties involved in the Saris clash have continued to trade blames since the incident happened. The Army accused the Shiite followers of attempt to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff, while the Islamic movement on their own part claimed the soldiers simply decided to attack “defenseless people”.

A statement by the Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, said Shite members barricaded the road Mr. Buratai’s motorcade was passing to pay homage on the Emir of Zazzau, and also attend a review parade by 73 Regular Recruit Intake at the Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria.

“The sect numbering hundreds carrying dangerous weapons, barricaded the roads with bonfires, heavy stones and tyres,” he said.

Whose story should we believe?

If truly the sects were armed as the soldiers claimed, then all men of goodwill must rise up to condemn in its entirety this act by the Shiite followers. It is totally condemnable for members of a religious organization to be armed and also unleash attack on the COAS or any citizen.

Does that imply that I am supporting the soldiers for killing the citizens they are supposed to protect? Of course No! But there's a need for us to let citizens understand that the nation will not condole unlawful acts which poses a threat to the security of the nation.

A close observer claimed that any time Shi'ite  members have their program, "they proudly and arrogantly block the road and couse inconveniences to the passersby."

There is a need for government to put a regulation to religious organizations and their use of public facilities in order to guide against any inconvenience their activities might have on other members of the society and to also forestall future occurrence of unfortunate clash that might escalate into violence.

We cannot afford any form of insurgency again in this nation.

Laspotech convocates 7,000

The management of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) has announced that it would convocate a total of 7,022 students across all
the full time and part-time programmes at its 23rd convocation ceremony billed to hold on Thursday 9th April, 2015, at its main campus in Ikorodu.

Speaking at a Press Conference to announce the week long activities lined up for the convocation, the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Lawal, disclosed that the graduands are fully prepared to face the challenges of life, because of the special entrepreneurial skills and computer education they have acquired.

Lawal, whose tenure as the polytechnic Rector expires on June 1st, 2015, has been able to transform the polytechnic into a world class institution, with the various academic upgrading and structural developments, courtesy of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and Lagos state government.

It was also disclosed that the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, is expected at the convocation to sendforth the graduands into the labour market.

Present at the press briefing were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Otunba Fatai Olukoga; Registrar of the Polytechnic, Princess Olufunke Ige; Deputy Registrar, Information and
Public Relations, Olarenwaju Kuye, among others. 

Activities lined up for the 23rd Convocation ceremony are as follows: 

1.) Convocation Press Conference
Date: Thursday, 2nd April, 2015.
Time: 10am
Venue: Council Chambers, Ikorodu Campus.

2.) (A.) Convocation Special Prayer for Graduands
Date: Thursday, 2nd April, 2015.
Time: 12:00 noon
Venue: Ikorodu Campus Mosque

(B.) Convocation Interdenominational Service
Time: Thursday, 2nd April, 2015.
Time: 12 noon
Venue: SM and BS Auditorium, Ikorodu Campus.

3.) 23rd Convocation Lecture
Date: Tuesday, 7th April, 2015.
Time: 12 noon
Venue: SM and BS Auditorium, Ikorodu Campus.

4.) (A.) Convocation Rehearsals (All
Academic Processions and Graduands)
Date: Wednesday, 8th April, 2015.
Time: 10am Prompt
Venue: School of Agriculture Auditorium, Ikorodu Campus

(B.) Convocation Variety Show/ Drama Presentations (by Mass Communication Department)
Date: Wednesday, 8th April, 2015.
Time: 12 noon – 3 pm
Venue: SM and BS Auditorium, Ikorodu Campus.

(C.) Convocation Football Match
Date: Wednesday, 8th April, 2015.
Time: 4pm – 6pm
Venue: Football Field, Ikorodu Campus.

5.) A. Convocation Ceremony
Date: Thursday, 9th April, 2015.
Time: 10am Prompt
Venue: School of Agriculture Auditorium, Ikorodu Campus.

B. Convocation Lunch
Date: Thursday, 9th April, 2015.
Venue: Polytechnic Field

Signed

Aderonke Ige

Registrar/Secretary to Council 

#Letr2Jack: Money Matters – 2 by Leke Alder

Dear Jack

 

When a marriage is under financial strain, 

men and women exhibit strange characters...

lack of money..in a marriage...breeds fear and 

turns you into a spiritual analyst. 

And so the woman becomes the enemy, a suspect, not an ally.

My dear Jack, if you don’t want the truth don’t ask me for advice. I’ve told you money is important in marriage. A lack of money can break a marriage. And where it doesn’t it can do irreparable damage. It will reconfigure the relationship between you and your wife. It’s why I tell young men not to go into marriage without a job. You’re going to put enormous strain on the marriage. No matter how much you love each other, when there’s no money the union will be pressured. And when a marriage is under financial strain, men and women exhibit strange characters. You’ll be shocked what that goody goody girlfriend of yours will do under financially induced marital strain. Even you will change under pressure. And financial pressure can be particularly hard on young men. Linked to self-esteem.

Life demands of young men they substantiate their affection with means. And because men define themselves by attainment, a lack of money greatly affects social status. When there’s financial pressure, the more your wife tries to console and comfort you the more you’ll snap. The brunt of financial pressure is borne by those in close proximity. And so both of you will turn on each other. Then the illogical begins to happen. You’ll grow superstitious, wondering if marrying the young woman was the incipience of a regime of lack… Wondering whether the woman is a harbinger of bad fortune you shouldn’t have married. That’s what lack of money can do in a marriage. It breeds fear and turns you into a spiritual analyst. And so the woman becomes the enemy, a suspect, not an ally. And things spiral down from there. Controlled by superstition and fear, you’ll refuse to eat her food. Maybe she “spiked” it. Soon your mother-in-law will become a witch. Along with her daughters, they’re a coven of witches. Why won’t you just spare yourself arrant and suspicious spirituality and just go and get yourself a job?

I have said it before: there’s the sentimentality of love. But there’s also the dutifulness of love. Love portends responsibility. Love has a disciplinary component. Love is patient, love is kind, love is not envious, love is not boastful or proud… Love doesn’t demand its own way, love hardly notices when the other does it wrong… Those definitions of love are beyond sentimentalism. They bespeak restraint, discipline and responsibility. Love is responsible and disciplined.

Now I don’t know the philosophy you subscribe to as per marriage…(Every marriage is guided by a philosophy of life)… But where I’m coming from, a man must be responsible for his wife and kids. He must provide for them. And your financial responsibility is independent of the income of your wife, though you can create a combine. But if you subscribe to the notion of being a house-husband, all well and good. It’s your choice and I respect that. It’s a new sociology, but don’t complain you’re not accorded respect. If you want respect as man- and respect means a lot to us men, be financially responsible in your marriage. As a man there are things you must do. I’m sure you have expectations of your wife too. But something tells me, deep down no one wants to marry a liability. Everyone wants an asset. And no one wants to marry a depreciating asset either, or redundant asset. Redundancy has carrying cost.

And it’s not just about you. You want your son to be proud of you as a father. You want him to emulate you. You want to be a worthy example to your son, to be a living example. It may be tough paying those school fees at times but all the young man wants to know is, “Daddy is trying!” Have you ever wondered why the children of drunks hate their father? Think about it. It’s not just that he’s raucous and uncontrollable and a social disgrace. There’s also the issue of him debilitating the only productive asset in the home- their mother. In principle, an irresponsible father is no different from that drunk. Irresponsibility is a common factor. Get a job. It might not be the ideal job you want but your wife knows you’re doing something. And your little son knows Daddy is working hard, struggling. He will pray for you. And you pass on to your son the values of work ethic, honesty, discipline, self-worth. If your son doesn’t imbibe those values your old age may not be pleasant.

The woman has to handle the social disgrace of no money in marriage. She has to buy goods on credit. And she has friends. She either has to keep lying (and they know she’s lying) or relate in shame. That’s not saying you should be like the Joneses. Much of the avowed prosperity of the Joneses is a mirage. You never know the true story about the Joneses. And your name is not Tom Jones. So there’s the contentment side to manliness, being proud of what you’ve achieved so far, hoping for the best. No, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about laboring with your own hands and looking out for opportunities. And when opportunities come, grabbing them with both hands… Being diligent in the pursuit of the future. 

But if you start making excuses for non-achievement, you’re going to turn it into a philosophy.

And please don’t hate what you desire. Stop hating the successful. Not every successful person is crooked. I’m just saying the pressure won’t stop on your marriage until you sort out the money angle. Get a job! You start somewhere and you progress. The longer you put off getting into employment the more you defer the future. Don’t allow life overtake you. And you know that’s happening when your colleagues are zooming past you. And that’s my ounce of advice. What you do with it is really up to you.

Your mentor, LA.

© Leke Alder 

You can reach Leke Alder via:
talk2me@lekealder.com

 

#Letr2Jil: Sons of Belial by Leke Alder

Dear Jil

There are those who dedicate the quantum of their life to the ruin of others. 

They are sons of Belial. Perhaps you ought to ask yourself, 

“Is this genuine love, or am I a bet?

My dear Jil, I want to tell you a story. Though allegorized, it is nonetheless a true story. The moral intone makes it a cautionary tale, especially for a girl your age and marital prospect status.

There was this lovely young lady, about 23. Tall, dark and slenderly… Let’s call her Bisi. She was pure of heart…Lily white… Nice young woman, beautiful… A good girl. She dedicated herself to her Lord and Master Jesus the Christ, and that involved certain decisions. Like the decision that she would save it until marriage. She was a virgin. To use your generational parlance, she was keeping it for her husband. The pressures were there but she kept her word.

In one of those paradoxes of life purity has a magneto-optical relationship with evil. Goodness attracts evil. And so the purity of Bisi came to the attention of certain sons of Belial. These were jackals and hyenas lusting after prey. And Bisi in her gentle and innocent ways looked defenseless, like an impala on the savannah plains of Africa. And so the sons of Belial took a bet as to who would successfully disvirginise this innocent girl. Bisi became a wager, a chip on life’s roulette table, a probabilistic chattel of defilement schemers. John picked up the gauntlet and placed the highest bet. He swore he would bed her before the end of the year. And so Bisi the young woman unschooled in the ways of the world became a high value target. John laid out a simple devious plan. Such a plan can only be inspired by the Evil One.

As Bisi came home from church one evening, singing choruses in her head, John made a move. He greeted her like the Serpent might have greeted Eve. And so began the long slow march of deception. He soon convinced her he was a penitent sinner and would like to know more about her faith. In every scenario of temptation there’s always an entry point. And John located one. They were soon chatting about his conversion, and before long John began to follow her to church. And he spoke in “tongues”. Only his glossolalia was not inspired of God’s Spirit. It was a realistic piece of fakery. But so was Bisi convinced John was a brother in the Lord. He was earnest about his newfound faith, seemed most willing to learn. And he loved going to church.

Proximity breeds relationship. In time Bisi developed a kinship with John. God had sent a brother through her good deeds. Hallelujah! And you know how it is. Other type of tongues began to wag: Innocent Bisi has found a love interest. Praise the Lord! The power of suggestion impacted on Bisi’s psyche, and she began to see John for more than he truly was. John bided his time, and in time popped the question. Bisi asked for time to pray and she said it with coquetted innocence. But John knew the answer. Bisi did pray to be honest, but she was praying to the answer, like we all do, laying out her conviction. She did feel a teeny weeny check in her being, but her desires made the vitals almost imperceptible. Since whatever it was was not registering in clangs and cymbals she smoothed it over. But it did persist, for some time, like a whining noise no one knows the source of. There were times Bisi wondered, like one taking a huge decision in doubt, like one on the very roof of a high building. You see the expanse of sky but you seem lost and don’t know which way to go. The expanse is disorienting. All around you, life stretches out in every direction. There are no coordinates, no cardinal points apparent.

She was afraid of doubting her doubt. She couldn’t see why not, though she couldn’t see why either. She was at that age a young woman wants what other young women have- someone with proprietary rights over her heart. And the idea of marriage was giddy. She had a secret joy from the very thought. If you understand the graphics of the subconscious you will know that it sometimes projects visual bumps in 4D. You “feel” a non-mellifluous bump…like a subtle speed breaker on the road frequented by your decision. Bisi felt this bump. Soft, like a subtle hint of undisclosed information. Gentle. But she over-ruled the data. The vision of becoming a bride overtook her sensitivity of heart. And soon they were planning the wedding and Bisi considering wedding gowns and styles. Bisi’s father was a pastor- a pastor in one of the brand name legacy Pentecostal denominations. He felt uneasy and raised objections that had no definition. Something wasn’t right. But since he couldn’t articulate a rational basis for his objections he was over-ruled by the happiness of his daughter. How do you dash your daughter’s happiness and make her unhappy? She looked forward to marriage. And Bisi’s mum set about making preparations for the wedding with the gusto of an evangelical mission.

And so the day came. And Bisi wore white. And she said I do. And then came the reception. To everyone’s surprise John’s friends began to chant a song, “You don win O!” The operative word is “win”. And being a son of Belial, John introduced beer at the reception, to spite the evangelical sensitivity of Bisi’s daddy. He knew Bisi’s father had disapproved of him. Bisi had told him about her father’s initial objections. Girls do that, having convinced themselves it is an involuntary response of a father’s “losing” of his daughter. At the beer, Bisi’s father stomped out of the hall. It was a blight on his evangelical credential as a pastor. But he was a very sad man who blamed himself for not sticking up for what he “knew” in his heart. John didn’t stop there. Having secured his prize he set about ill treatment of his bride. He soon began to beat her, badly. Of course he slept with her on the wedding night. It was like rape. And he accomplished it before the year ran out. I’m sure you cannot imagine a young man dedicating his life to the ruin of another but these things happen.

The dynamics of Bisi’s ordeal are no different from that of a rich older woman past her prime who marries wrong. If she marries a calculating young wretch who bides his time until after the wedding to manifest she’ll suffer. He now lives in her house, uses her cars, eats her food and has sex with her. The sex makes him feel empowered. Who could have imagined such a woman can beg HIM for sex! He’s now dominating someone way, way beyond his status. He could never imagine being on top of her.

There are those who dedicate the quantum of their life to the ruin of others. They are sons of Belial. Perhaps you ought to ask yourself, “Is this genuine love, or am I a bet? Am I a target of an impotent young man?” Naivety is a sin of foolishness. You can’t afford to be naïve about this life.

Your mentor, LA.

© Leke Alder | 

Contact Leke Alder via:
Twitter: @Leke_Alder
talk2me@lekealder.com 

We have distributed 81% of PVCs – INEC -

- may extend PVC collection in Lagos, Ogun and Plateau states 

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said 56, 350, 776 of the 68, 833, 476 Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, meant for this year’s general election – 81.87 per cent of the cards – had been collected by their owners across the country.

The deadline for the collection of the permanent voter cards for this year’s general election is Sunday 22^nd March, 2015. Ahead of the deadline set by INEC, the commission said it had received the remaining voter cards meant for Lagos, Ogun, and Plateau states.

Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Kayode Idowu, said all the outstanding PVCs were received Thursday and had been distributed to the affected states, which were among states that had shortages.

But with respect to the latest date for the collection of the PVCs nationwide, it was learnt that there may be a further extension in Lagos, Ogun, and Plateau states to enable registered voters in the states to collect their cards.

Speaking on the conclusion of the PVCs distribution exercise, the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said at the weekend that the party was satisfied with the level of distribution ahead of the poll.

But a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP group, PDP Integrity Vanguard, frowned at what it called INEC’s insistence on the use of PVCs and Smart Card Readers for the election, reiterating the party’s indisposition to the use of the device.

In a statement by Senator Aniette Okon and Chief Sergeant Awuse, the group claimed that the resolve to use the electronic voter authentication device was an invitation to chaos and a recipe for anarchy during the elections.

INEC had admitted 41 per cent fingerprint failure during the card reader test run, but said it fully achieved the other three cardinal goals of voter authentication that had motivated the introduction of the PVC and card reader.

INEC plans to hold a stakeholders meeting with all the political parties, civil society groups, and other stakeholders on Tuesday, in a final discussion before the polls.

source: www.thisdaylive.com